Puck delivering device



Oct. 16, 1951 E. H. HUGHES PUCK DELIVERING DEVICE Filed April 4, 1950 Patented Oct. 16, 1951.

PUCK DELIVERING DEVICE Edward H. Hughes, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Exhibit Supply Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application April 4. 1950, Serial No. 153,842

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in a puck delivering device for delivering a puck to a player for play upon the playing field of an amusement game apparatus. The invention has for its principal object the provision in such a device of an arrangement for supporting the puck within convenient reach of the player and for blocking the return of other pucks to such position until the presented puck is removed by the player.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

' The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings showing the preferred form of construction, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a return trough of an amusement game apparatus showing my invention associated therewith;

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the same, taken on line 2--2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view similar to Fig. 1 but showing the puck supporting and blocking mechanism in puck delivery and blocking position; and

Fig. 4 is a sectional'detail' view taken substantially on line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

The several objects of my invention are accomplished by the preferred form of construction shown in the accompanying drawings.

My invention is especially designed to be associated with an amusement game aparatus, commonly referred to as a shufileboard, over the playing surface of which pucks are manually propelled by the player and in which game apparatus there is provided a puck return trough III. This return trough I comprises spaced side walls II and a bottom wall I2 providing a V- shaped track I3 over which the pucks I4 roll by gravity. At the delivery end portion I5 of this trough, I secure as at I6 to the outer surfaces of the side walls I2 forwardly extending elongated plates I! having their portions which extend beyond the trough I0 disposed inwardly toward each other to define a receiving pocket It of a width equal to the width of the track I3.

Arranged between the plates I1 and within the pocket I8 is a counterbalanced platform I9 onto which the pucks I4 from the track I3 are adapted to gravitate. This platform I9 has fixedly secured thereto a mounting bracket 20 pivoted as at 2I to the plates IT.

The inner end portion of this platform is bent downwardly and rearwardly as at 22. The

4 Claims. (Cl. 273-126) 2 1 rearwardly extending portionof. this platform carries a counterweight 23, the effect of which is adapted to be overcomeby the weight of .the puck I4 when on the platform I9 so asto pivot the platform I9 to the position shown in Fig. 3 to present the puck I4 to the playerfor removal from the platform I9. The platform is limited in this pivotal movementby engagement of the rearwardly extending portion of the plat-' form with the bottom wall I2 of the trough II. The forward or outer end of the platform provides an upstanding stop 24 against which the puck I4 rests when the platform is pivoted to puck delivering position.

Carried by the portion 22 of the platform .is a stop finger 25 which is adapted to cooperate with a U-shaped strap 26 secured as at 21 to the walls I I to block movement of the pucks'from -the trough I0 when the platform is pivoted to the position shown in Fig. 3, which position is puck delivering position. To limit pivotal move-i ment of the platform III by the counterweight 23, a stop arm 28 is secured to one of the side walls I! and extends beneath the platform I9 as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. w

The stop finger 25 in its cooperation with the strap 26 prevents a puck'from moving onto the platform until the puck supported by the platform in the position shown in Fig. 3, is removed. By this arrangement the player is protected from injury in that the stop 25 and strap 26 will prevent delivery of more than One puck upon the platform I9 until the puck supported thereby is removed. The strap '26 cooperates with the stop finger 25 to prevent the pucks from bouncing out of the trough I0 when gravitating into striking engagement with the stop finger 25. I

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable of variation and modification without departing from the spirit of the invention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. For a combination comprising a return trough having a delivery end, a receiving pocket at said delivery end and adapted to receive a game piece from said, trough, said receiving pocket comprising side walls extending coextensively with respect to the side walls of the trough, a platform arranged between the side walls of the receiving pocket, means for pivotally connecting said platform to said side walls, said platform normally being disposed in alignment with the bottom of the trough, a counterweight provided at the opposite or inner end of the platform beneath said trough to engage the bottom thereof to limit pivotal movement of the platform-under the weight of a game piece received in the pocket from the trough, and a stop on the platform adjacent said weight and pivotal with said platform when the latter ispivoted under the weight of said game piece to block the exit of the trough.

2. For a combination comprising a return trough having a delivery end, a receiving pocket at said delivery end and adapted to receive a game piece from said trough, said receiving pocket comprising side walls extending coextensively with respect to the side walls of the trough, a platform arranged between the side walls of the receiving pocket means for pivotally connecting said platform to said side walls, said platform normally being disposed in alignment with the bottom of the trough, a counterweight provided at the opposite or inner end of the platform beneath said trough to engage the bottom thereof to limit pivotal movement of the platform under the weight of a game, piece received in the pocket from the trough, a stop on the platform adjacent said weight and pivotal with said platform when the latter is pivoted under the weight of said game piece to block the exit of the trough, and a strap extending across the top of the trough and cooperating with said stop to block game pieces within said trough.

3. For a combination comprising a return trough having a delivery end, a receiving pocket at said delivery end and adapted to receive a game piece from said trough, said receiving pocket comprising side walls extending coextensively with respect to the side walls of the trough, a platform arranged between the side walls of the receiving pocket, means for pivotally connecting said platform to said side walls, said platform normally being disposed in alignment with the bottom of the trough, a counterweight provided at the opposite or inner end of the platform beneath said trough to engage the bottom trough having a delivery end, a receiving pocket at said delivery end and adapted to receive a game piece from said trough, said receiving pocket comprising side walls extending coextensively with respect to the side walls of the trough, a platform arranged between the side walls of the receiving pocket, means for pivotally connecting said platform to said side walls, said platform normally being disposed in alignment with the bottom of the trough, a counterweight provided at the opposite or inner end of the platform beneath said trough to engage the bottom thereof to limit pivotal movement of the platform under the weight of a game piece received in the pocket from the trough, a stop on the platform adjacent said weight and pivotal with said platform when the latter is pivoted under the weight of said game piece to block the exit of the trough, a strap extending across the top of the trough and cooperating with said stop to block game pieces within said trough, and a member carried by one of the side walls of the pocket and extending transversely of said pocket beneath said platform to limit pivotal movement of said platform by said counterweight.

EDWARD H. HUGHES.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Date 

